Custom Sources

Custom Sources

Custom Sources

By connecting a custom data source with Slite, you can index specific data from any supported service and make it searchable directly in the Slite Agent. This guide will walk you through the key aspects of setting up and managing a custom data source connection, and we'll take searching through tl;dv recordings as an example.

Connecting a custom source & the Slite Agent

This is the first step to get started. This section covers how to set up the connection between Slite and your custom source.

Required permissions for setup

To connect Slite and a custom source, you must have the necessary permissions in both platforms.
  • In Slite: Permission to add or remove agent sources depends on your team's settings. By default, only workspace admins or owners can set up a connection. However, a Slite admin can enable a setting to allow all members to add and remove agent sources.
  • In the custom source: You must have access to the custom source you want to index.

Initial connection

Creating a custom source in Slite

To begin, you need to create your custom source and get the necessary credentials.
    In Slite, click Agent Sources in the left sidebar (at the bottom).
    Find the Custom option and give your source a name (e.g., "tl;dv — Mathieu"), then click Create .
    In the Sources tab, click the three-dot menu next to the source and select "Copy ID".

Indexing a custom source via the public Slite API

You will need an API key to authenticate with the public Slite API.
    Click your team avatar in the top-left corner.
    Click Settings , then scroll down to the API section.
    Click Create new key and follow the on-screen instructions.
You can then call the /ask/index endpoint, pushing one object at a time in markdown or HTML. You can use the service of origin's ID as a reference to update an existing object, and the updatedAt key to indicate Slite Agent how recent the information is.
For detailed API documentation, visit:
You can then go back to the Sources tab and see the count of objects indexed for a given custom source. You'll be able to use your custom source everywhere in the Slite Agent as an agent source.

Indexing a custom source via Zapier (tl;dv example — Expand section for more details...)

For an easier configuration, you can use our  Zapier integration  to index objects from their interface.
Let's take tl;dv as an example. We'll set things up so that each new tl;dv transcript is indexed in Slite Agent.
    Sign in to your Zapier account and find the Slite app.
    Choose to pair it with the tl;dv app.
    Click Connect these apps .
    Select the tl;dv trigger event (e.g., "New Recording") and click Continue to test your trigger.
    If you haven't already, you'll be prompted to connect your tl;dv account and get an API key from their website.
    Choose a record and click Continue with selected record .
    For Slite, choose the Index Custom Content action event, then click Continue .
    You'll also want to make sure your Slite account is connected.
    You will be prompted to configure the Index Custom Content action. Click the + button next to each field to fill in the details. Once you are done, click Continue .
The custom source ID is the piece of information you got earlier in the process.
    Click Test , then Publish if the test is successful.
    If the test fails, go back to the previous step and make sure the details are correct.

Access control & privacy

Custom sources do not support specific permissions. All Slite members can search and ask on the custom sources that have been added to your workspace.